The Bowl is without a doubt one of the city’s best assets. But don’t get me started on the experience of actually shopping there. It begins with one’s, inevitably doomed, attempt to find a parking space in the store’s lot, and ends with the predictable, and seemingly endless, wait in line at the checkout. And this is true at any time and on any given day, be it during the week or on the weekend. Believe me, I know. I’ve tried every variation.

It’s a good thing the quality of the Bowl’s produce and the convivial encounters with fellow foodies one invariably has there make the whole outing worthwhile.

So, you will understand if I can’t wait for Berkeley Bowl Mark II to open its doors. The store, which is known as Berkeley Bowl West, has been a long time coming and, because it’s Berkeley, has been the subject of much protracted debate. But it’s on its way, as the image from the live webcam of its construction site (above) clearly demonstrates.

Located on the corner of Heinz Avenue and Ninth Street, Berkeley Bowl West has been designed by Kava Massih Architects and is scheduled to be completed in 2009.

You probably won’t want to buy this $249,900 house, even if it is spitting distance from the new mecca — and despite the fact its price has been slashed by more than half from this time last year — but we can live in hope that two Bowls rather than one will make the weekly grocery run a little less stressful.